Attracting and retaining employees

Positioning the Australian Public Service as a model employer is a key priority for the Australian Government. Developing and communicating a strong Employee Value Proposition for the APS to attract and retain employees will help meet this objective.

Extensive research has been undertaken to better understand:

• public perceptions of the APS as an employer
• what candidates are looking for in an employer
• what employees find rewarding about a career in the APS.

A strong, contemporary and well-communicated Employee Value Proposition is essential to maintaining a skilled and talented workforce into the future. It is a set of attributes that the labour market and current employees perceive as the value they gain through employment with an employer. Such a proposition can help employees and candidates evaluate and compare potential employers and help employers attract and retain talent by providing a clear statement of what they offer.

Research conducted by the Australian Public Service Commission highlights a lack of public awareness of employment opportunities within the APS. In a 2023 survey into public perceptions of the APS as an employer, the most common reason for respondents not seeking APS employment was a lack of awareness of the service as an employer. This is supported by findings from the 2023 New Starters Survey, which found that almost half (45%) of new starters had previously worked for the APS before starting in an ongoing role. These findings present significant opportunities for the APS to attract and retain talent from outside of the service by lifting its employer profile.

Potential APS Employee Value Proposition attributes were tested against the lived experience of a wide range of APS employees across 42 agencies through a series of co-design sessions held in April and May 2023. The sessions provided an opportunity to collate employee thoughts, stories and experiences about working in the APS, which will feature strongly in the APS Employee Value Proposition communications approach.

Following its release in late 2023, the APS Employee Value Proposition will be reviewed regularly to ensure it continues to reflect the strengths of the APS employee offer and remains contemporary in the employment market.

Work is also underway to examine ways to attract and retain specialists, and to develop tools and resources to support reskilling and upskilling of employees to meet emerging capability needs.

See also

Australian Government (n.d.) Secretaries Board Future of Work Sub-committee, APSC website, https://www.apsc.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/future-of-work-sub-committee, accessed 5 October 2023.